Coast to Coast

ARLINGTON, TEXASPermanent concession stands planned
Four concession areas will
replace mobile carts on the Hall of Fame level at Cowboys Stadium this season,
according to a report in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Mobile carts were used
last season to determine demand and traffic patterns. A public filing indicated
that the concession areas will total about 17,600 square feet and cost about
$2.5 million to build, according to the report.

AUSTIN, TEXASDreams Inc. to manage Longhorns retail
Dreams Inc. signed a letter of intent to acquire Overland
Park, Kan.-based Collegiate Marketing Services, which since 2005 has managed
the retail, game-day and online merchandise operations of the University of
Texas athletics program. Dreams also plans to launch a new official Longhorns
store on its proprietary e-commerce platform upon the deal’s completion.

“WEEI Live” is a free download for fans.

Excelyte to sponsor UT athletics
Excelyte Corp. will sponsor the University of Texas athletic
department through 2012. Excelyte will serve as the exclusive sponsor in a new
category of health-related and bacteria-preventative products that include
disinfectants and hand sanitizers.

BOSTONWEEI releases Android app
The WEEI Sports Radio Network released the “WEEI Live” Android
application, giving fans of Boston sports access to live and on-demand audio, breaking
news, stories, video and scores directly from their Android phones. “WEEI Live”
is presented by AT&T and free to download in the Android Market.

Tour event generates $61 million
The Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass.,
last fall generated more than $61 million in spending impact for the region’s
economy. The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau compiled its
report from data and information provided by organizations involved in the
event and from visitor spending models available to the bureau.

BUFFALOBisons, Mets extend partnership
The Buffalo Bisons signed a two-year extension that will keep
their player-development partnership with the New York Mets in place through
the 2012 season. The Bisons became the Mets’ Class AAA affiliate two years ago
following a longtime relationship with the Cleveland Indians.

CINCINNATIBengals check in with Fifth Third
Fifth Third Bank launched Bengals Checking to tie in with its
sponsorship of the Cincinnati Bengals. The product features a Bengals-branded
debit card and checks. Fifth Third is expanding its Bengals relationship after
one year as the official sponsoring bank of the team.

COLUMBUSJackets, Medical Mutual renew deal
The Columbus Blue Jackets
and Medical Mutual of Ohio renewed their corporate partnership. Medical Mutual
of Ohio, which was aligned with the team for the 2009-10 season, will continue
to be the official health insurer of the NHL club. The partnership calls for
in-arena signage and premium hospitality.

DALLASStars, station sign 4-year deal
KTXA-TV agreed to a four-year contract with the Dallas Stars
to broadcast 15 regular-season games a season, plus select playoff games,
beginning with the 2010-11 season. All of the telecasts will be in high
definition. The broadcasts will air primarily on Saturday nights on the
station, an independent that’s the sister station to the local CBS affiliate,
and will include 30-minute pregame and postgame coverage.

Almost one-third of Patriot Place’s power is
supplied by the panels on retail rooftops.

FOXBORO, MASS.Solar power lights up Patriot Place
A recently completed photovoltaic power system will generate
about 525 kilowatts of renewable solar power at Patriot Place, the Kraft
Group’s retail complex that’s adjacent to the New England Patriots’ Gillette
Stadium home. Constellation Energy’s Projects & Services Group began installing
the system in November. It now supplies approximately 30 percent of Patriot
Place’s power and spans seven building rooftops at the facility.

Pats, RE/MAX launch essay contest
RE/MAX of New England and the New England Patriots kicked off
their “Take You to the House” program. If the Patriots this year break their
single-season record of 75 touchdowns, one fan will win $500,000 toward the
purchase of a new home. Fans can submit a 500-word essay at
remax-newengland.com stating how winning the prize will make a difference in
their lives.

GLENDALE, ARIZ.Group OKs rezoning around stadium
The Glendale Planning Commission voted 5-1 to recommend that
the City Council rezone nearly 130 acres around University of Phoenix Stadium
to make way for offices, hotels and apartments, according to a report in The
Arizona Republic. The area is zoned for agriculture.

KISSIMMEE, FLA.HP to rename Milk House
Walt Disney World has sold the naming rights to one of the
main venues at its ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to Hewlett-Packard as part
of a new sponsorship agreement with the computer maker, according to a report
in The Orlando Sentinel. The formerly named Milk House will be renamed with an
HP brand and receive a number of high-tech updates, according to the report.

LAS VEGASHard Rock partners with PBR
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
will be the official hotel of the Fan Zone and Marketplace for the 2010 PBR
World Finals, scheduled for Oct. 20-24 at the Thomas and Mack Center. The hotel
also will host the bull draft and official after party as well as the Finals
awards banquet on Oct. 24.

LOS ANGELESDodgers extend with affiliates
The Los Angeles Dodgers
extended their player-development contracts with the Class AA Chattanooga
(Tenn.) Lookouts and the Class A Great Lakes (Mich.) Loons. Both extensions
will run through 2014.

MILWAUKEEFarm Aid set for Miller Park
Farm Aid’s 25th anniversary show will be held at Miller Park
on Oct. 2. Jason Hartlund, Brewers Enterprises vice president, said the show
will not produce a great deal of revenue for the MLB Brewers, according to a
report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, but he did not disclose financial
details. The Brewers will help promote the event.

Peter Best’s illustration was judged
the best among a final four of
young contestants.

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAULVikings aim for 60,000
The Minnesota Vikings reported a season-ticket renewal rate of
94 percent, their highest since 2005, and will continue to sell season tickets
through September, with a goal of getting near 60,000, according to a report in
the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Vikings season-ticket sales at the Metrodome have
been in the high 50,000s the past few years, according to the report.

Backstrom to wear teen’s design
Fifteen-year-old Peter Best of Plymouth, Minn., won the
Minnesota Wild’s online contest to design a mask to be worn by goaltender
Niklas Backstrom during the 2010-11 season. Best’s creation features the
skylines of Minneapolis and St. Paul and is adorned by wolves, the Finnish flag
and the team’s 10th anniversary mark.

Wolves, Target Corp. negotiating
The Minnesota Timberwolves are in negotiations with Target
Corp. about the naming rights to Target Center. The current deal will expire in
September 2011. Target has held naming rights to the venue since its opening in
1990.

NEW ORLEANSNFL plans women’s boutique
The NFL on Saturday plans
to open in New Orleans the NFL Shop For Women, a first-of-its kind temporary
boutique geared specifically to women, according to a report in The (New
Orleans) Times-Picayune. The shop, at 3239 Magazine St., is timed to coincide
with the Sept. 9 Saints-Vikings NFL regular-season opener and is scheduled to
remain open until Sept. 18.

NEW YORKIslanders riding with Tran-Star
The New York Islanders
added Tran-Star Executive Transportation Services as a corporate partner.
Tran-Star joins the organization as the official limousine service of the
Islanders, the Long Island Marriott and Nassau Coliseum. Hotel guests will have
the ability to use shuttle service to and from the Long Island Marriott before,
during and after home games.

OKLAHOMA CITYThunder partners with FS Southwest
The Oklahoma Thunder and
FS Southwest agreed on a multiyear partnership that makes Fox Sports Oklahoma
the sole local and regional TV home for the team’s games, according to a report
in The Oklahoman.

OMAHA, NEB.New UFL team reaches TV deal
The Omaha Nighthawks and
KMTV-TV reached an agreement to become broadcast partners for the upcoming
United Football League season. KMTV, the local CBS affiliate, will host a
weekly show featuring Nighthawks coaches, players and staff as the team begins
its inaugural season.

ORLANDOMagic signs Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz signed a
three-year naming-rights deal with the Orlando Magic to sponsor a premium club
at the team’s new Amway Center. The deal for the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge, a
13,000-square-foot hospitality space at event level, is valued in the mid-six
figures annually, according to Magic COO Alex Martins.

Kicker David Akers worked his way through
the autograph mob at Flight Night.

PHILADELPHIAFlight Night draws 31,124
A
crowd of 31,124 attended the Philadelphia Eagles’ second annual Eagles Flight
Night at Lincoln Financial Field. The open practice is designed to let fans who
don’t typically attend Eagles homes games see an event at the stadium. Tickets
were $10. Proceeds from the event, estimated at more than $1 million, went to
Eagles Youth Partnership programs.

Phillies partner with Steak-umm
The Philadelphia Phillies
signed Steak-umm Co. as a marketing partner for the remainder of the 2010 MLB
season. The Reading, Pa., company will be promoting its products on digital
billboards behind first and third base at Citizens Bank Park. The ads are the
first run at the Phillies’ ballpark by Steak-umm, which is best known for its
frozen Philly cheesesteak products.

Arena signs going up soon
Comcast-Spectacor
said it expects to have new signs up for what will be known as the Wells Fargo
Center by Sept. 14, in time for a Lady Gaga concert at the 21,000-seat arena
that serves as the home for the NHL Flyers and NBA 76ers. Workers recently took
down the facility’s old Wachovia Center signage at the venue.

Spanish-language sports radio debuts
ESPN
Deportes Radio launched in the Philadelphia market this month on Beasley
Broadcast Group’s WWDB-AM 860. The station previously carried financial news,
information and talk shows.

Front Row to market for Soul
The Philadelphia Soul
reached an agreement with Front Row Marketing Services to have the company
handle sponsorship sales for the Arena Football League team, which is set to
join the resurrected AFL next season. The Soul and Front Row, a subsidiary of
Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment firm Comcast-Spectacor, previously
worked together from 2004 to 2008.

PHOENIXD-backs raising some ticket prices
The Arizona Diamondbacks
are raising some season-ticket prices next season, with many sections at Chase
Field getting increases between 50 cents and $2 a ticket per game, according to
a report in The Arizona Republic. However, 80 percent of seats in the ballpark
will see an increase of $1 or less or won’t increase at all, according to the
report.

The Spurs surpassed 100K loyal Facebookers.

SAN ANTONIOSpurs celebrate Facebook milestone
The
San Antonio Spurs late last month marked the milestone of having 100,000 fans
on the team’s official Facebook page. The page debuted in May 2008. Special
giveaways, including tickets to the Spurs’ Oct. 16 preseason game against Caja
Laboral of Spain at AT&T Center, were given to fans who helped the Spurs
reach the 100,000 mark.

SAN DIEGOPadres streaming away games
The
San Diego Padres will make select games available online and free of charge
within the team’s home broadcast territory, starting with two away games this
week against the Chicago Cubs. The streams will feature video and commentary
from the opposing teams’ broadcasts, as the games are not scheduled for local
TV broadcast.

SAN JOSEAT&T property blocks A’s
Before the Oakland A’s
make a desired move to San Jose, the city will have to move a $12 million-plus
AT&T field operations center that sits in the middle of the proposed 14-acre
ballpark site, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle. AT&T
California spokesman Ryan Rauzon said that the center is vital “to making sure
we take care of our customers,” according to the report.

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.49ers spent $4.9M on Measure J
The San Francisco 49ers
spent close to $5 million to win the election to build a new stadium in Santa
Clara, according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News. The backers of
Measure J, the Santa Clara stadium ballot measure, disclosed they spent about
$4.5 million this year and close to $400,000 last year, according to the
report.

SAVANNAH, GA.Rock ’n’ Roll races set for 2011
The Competitor Group is
bringing the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon Series to Savannah next year. Between
15,000 and 20,000 participants are expected for the inaugural Rock ’n’ Roll
Savannah Marathon & Half Marathon on Nov. 5, 2011.

SEATTLEUW picks stadium team
University of Washington
officials selected the developer-led team of Wright Runstad & Co., designer
360 Architecture and builder Turner Construction to renovate Husky Stadium. The
team submitted a proposal estimating a project cost of $250 million to build 25
suites, 25 loge boxes and 2,500 club seats.

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.Artigue forming new PR firm
Former Phoenix Suns
marketing executive Ray Artigue stepped down as president of Barclay
Communications and is forming his own public relations and marketing firm, the
Artigue Agency. The Scottsdale-based agency will provide marketing and public
relations services to sports, entertainment and environmental companies, as
well as the higher-education and nonprofit sectors.

SPARTA, KY.Speedway to add seats, campgrounds
Speedway Motorsports Inc.
will spend between $90 million and $100 million to expand and improve Kentucky
Speedway after the track landed its first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race,
according to a report in the Kentucky Enquirer. Plans are to add 50,000 more seats,
add more rest rooms and elevators, and clear 200 more acres for camping,
according to the report.

STORRS, CONN.UConn, SNY sign TV deal
SportsNet
New York and the University of Connecticut agreed to a multiyear partnership
that makes SNY the official TV home of the Huskies’ football and men’s
basketball programs. Beginning in September, SNY will feature 300 hours of
UConn programming annually as part of a
push to expand its UConn sports coverage.